Categorical Imperative vs. Utilitarianism - 1449 Words

Katelyn Cassidy PHI 101 The Cold Equation written by Tom Godwin is a science fiction short story that raises issues in philosophy. The story is about a girl named Marilyn that sneaks on to an EDS, a little ship carrying fever serum to six men stationed on a planet Woden. Marilyn’s brother had been one of the six men stationed there and she wanted to see him because it had been ten years since she had last seen him. Marilyn was scheduled to take a ship to the planet Mirmir where she would see her brother in one year, but she couldn’t wait any longer knowing that there was a ship on its was to Woden. There was a law that stated that any stowaway discovered on an EDS should be jettisoned immediately upon discovery. The EDS carried limited†¦show more content†¦These types of feelings are instrumentally important to taking appropriate action. Mills would argue that what the pilot did was the right thing to do. Ultimately by killing Marilyn the pilot did what was in the interest of the mos t amount of people. The pilot had no other option but to kill her because the fever serum was going to save six lives and to spare his own life to land the ship. Marilyn was wrong to enter the ship because there was a sign on the ship that clearly stated that there must be to trespassing onto the ship. In the story the pilot felt immense guilt for killing the girl. The pilot did everything in his power to spare her life. The pilot allowed Marilyn to write letters to her family and talk to her brother over the intercom. He also allowed her to stay on the ship and use up what little fuel there was to spare. The contribution that Mills made to the theory of utilitarianism took into consideration the feelings of the pilot. In class we discussed the case of Marilyn as well as two other scenarios involving a transplant patient and a train that were to kill children playing in the tracks. The class agreed that the pilot did indeed do the right thing. The numbers principle states that if the number sacrificed is less than the number saved the sacrifice is permissible. We agreed with Mills and his views regarding the cold equation case. Marilyn should have not been on the plane in the first placeShow MoreRelatedKantianism1127 Words   |  5 PagesMoral Reasoning - Aim: Equip students to become critically minded citizens who have the ability to think through the big moral and political questions we all confront as citizens Kant (Deontology) - Rejects utilitarianism: They were half right- of course we seek to avoid pain, and seek pleasure. But to think that pain and pleasure drives our behavior. - Thinks that the individual person has a dignity that commands our respect- because we are rational beings, capable of reason.; and autonomousRead MoreEthics - Paper 2. Utilitarianism Vs Universal Ethics. 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